Long-service leave
Long-service leave is designed to provide employees with the opportunity to take an extended paid break from their employment in recognition of many years service with Federation University Australia.
After seven years employment with the University you are entitled to 9.1 weeks long-service leave, which continues to accrue at the rate of 1.3 weeks per year for every additional year of service.
Such leave will accumulate at your normal rate of pay if you have consistently worked at the same time fraction during your employment or the average of the time fractions worked over your period of employment if your fraction has varied. You may choose to take your leave at your normal rate of pay (for continuing full-time employees) or at the rate calculated at the average time fraction you have worked, or you may choose for your entitlement to be paid at your full rate of pay over a lesser period. This may be an option utilised by employees who have increased their fraction over the years and wish to be paid long-service leave at their current full-time rate or a higher rate of pay rather than have their pay reduced to the average amount. This of course means reducing the length of long-service leave. You may also choose to take your leave at half pay for all or part of the leave. An employee may take all or part of their accrued long service leave for a continuous period, provided that a minimum continuous period of one week on full pay or two weeks on half pay will be taken at any one time. For information specific to you please read the relevant information below.
Long-service leave needs to be taken at a mutually agreeable time. You can elect to take the long-service leave straight away (i.e. when you have worked seven years) or you can wait until a more suitable time for you personally, or to fit in with your working environment. You need to discuss arrangements with your supervisor and give at least six months notice in writing.
Long-service leave is an entitlement which can be used in conjunction with other forms of leave e.g. maternity Leave to cover the extended period of time where otherwise it would be unpaid leave. A long-service leave entitlement is payable, if after four years service with the University, the employee retires on the grounds of ill health, age or the employee dies.
What you need to do when planning for your long-service leave
- Fully understand your long-service leave entitlements, including whether any credits are transferable from previous workplaces.
- If you are thinking of going on long-service leave at half pay, consider seeking advice from your financial planner and/or your superannuation provider to understand the implications of long-service leave for your personal finances.
- Negotiate arrangements with your supervisor (give at least six months written notice in the case of academic and general/professional staff, or three months notice in the case of TAFE teaching staff).
- Login to Workday to apply.
More information
For detailed information on leave entitlements and conditions for different staff categories, please refer to your relevant enterprise agreement:
- Federation University Australia Union Enterprise Agreement | Academic and General Staff Employees | 2023-2026 (pdf, 1.77MB)
- Federation University Australia | TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement | 2019 (pdf, 495kb)
Please note the 'provisions/entitlements' above do not apply to casual or sessional staff members.